Time
by sarah-jess
Summary: What if someone was taken from you and because of that time didn't matter to you? What if, that same person who was taken from you came back? And with that coming back came healing? But we all know, healing takes time. And time can bring new wounds. EXB
1. Chapter 1

_**So, another story. If you want to see something, ask or tell, please. thanks for reading. :).**_

_Tick_

_Tock_

I was becoming insane.

_Tick_

_Tock_

The illusion or perhaps reality of time had no meaning- no concept that appealed to me anymore.

_Tick_

_Tock._

I was an outer hollow shell of the person I was before, Numb and in an illusion.

_Tick_

_Tock._

Maybe it was hours, maybe days. Months, perhaps, and possibly even years.

It didn't even matter to me anymore.

_Tick_

_Tock_

Edward's pocket watch swung in front of me as I stared it down.

In what way is it the right thing to do to take somebody from someone?

_Tick._

_Tock._

Was it the rational reasoning I was desperately after, or was it the mental relief of finding out what really happened?

_You don't know, _His voice echoed in my head. _Leave it be._

I wanted to, but the stubborn gene I was submerged with wouldn't let me. I closed my eyes as I fought back tears.

_Tick  
_

_Tock._

_I n__eed to know, Edward_. In my mind, I answered my subconscious back. _I'm the one who needs to know what happened, even if it scares me._

_Tick._

_Tock._

In my head, he sighed. _I won't let you know. I love you too much. And if by some chance, you do find out, please let me know. You'll und__erstand why I can't._

_Tick._

_Tock._

_But_, I retorted back at him in my head. _I can deal with anything that happened. I just need to know. Please. Please, Edward. Please._

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Fine,_ He sighed, and his voice became louder, clearer, as if he was here with me. _Open your eyes, my love. Open your eyes._

_Tick._

_Tock._

And, I did.


	2. Chapter 2

**A bit of explaining in this chapter. Enjoy.**

When I chose to be solitary, I knew I was hurting more than just myself. Alice would try to talk to me, but I could just stare past her every day, and slide into a corner and cry when she went. I absorbed what everyone said, and took it to the heart. They tried to help me move on, but I just couldn't. I never thought I had enough time with him, even though he was in my mind 24-7.

During the reception after the funeral, I had mourned in the corner of Alice's living room. Maybe I was just starting to become nuts, but I could've sworn I felt him wrap his arms around me and whisper things I didn't understand in my ear. I had smiled for the first time in weeks when I felt that, and couldn't stop smiling. Alice had seen me and cracked a smile of her own and hugged me.

That was the first crack of my shell that I felt. Sporadically, one more crack would come when I was feeling the lowest of the low, and I would be grateful for it. I knew he was here with me, but he would only come when I needed him. I would've gone insane without these shell cracks and show-ups. Maybe, I would've been sent to the looney bin, and thrown in the dump. And I wouldn't have minded that, much, but Edward did.

My sub-conscious, my best friend, and my lover were screwed tight into my head. Maybe it was just one of the three, but they all held the same relief each separate brought. My sub-conscious knew he was still alive, but I knew better. My best friend was the person who kept me sane, and they too were in my head. And my lover... I couldn't be sure if he was in my head, in spirit, or was real. But I kept telling myself he was. And I damned well wanted to be right.

I barely had the energy to get up every day and eat, but I managed it. I still had my writing job, and our house. My ring was still on my finger and I had no intention of ever removing it. I was eternally his, even though he was eternally gone. Maybe if there were such things as vampires, I would've believed he was able to come back. But I knew they were a myth of stories and horrors, and refused to think of that.

But if, there was any hope that they were real, I hoped Edward was one, just for me to see him once more and be able to hug him, and tell him goodbye. That was one thing I couldn't do. Say goodbye. I tried as hard as I could at the funeral, but all I could do was kiss his head and whisper, "I love you." Not a goodbye, nor a hello. Just an I love you.

But now, I had opened my eyes, and he was standing in front of me. I was on the verge of fainting, but his arms held me up. His hair was still a reddish-bronze, he was still muscular, but he was paler, and his eyes were gold.

Gold.

That wasn't right. When he was alive- and obviously not an illusion, his eyes were a vibrant green, and he had a light tan on him when he died. Dying does change people- But he wouldn't have been like this in an illusion. Maybe he was real. Maybe he was back.

"God, Bella," He murmured and rested his face in the crook of my neck. "It's been a year since I've seen you face to face. I've missed you so much."

My hands wrapped themselves in his hair as I rested my head on his chest. "Your not my illusion. You're really here," I gasped as my tears started to fall down his shirt. "I can't believe it."

"Shh," He rubbed one of his hands on my back as the other held my head closer to his chest. "We have time for words later, my love. Now is the time for the reunion." I nodded as I finished my tears. Wiping them, I pushed myself from his chest and looked at him.

"Why?" Was all I managed to gasp before I started to cry again as I slumped to the floor. He slumped down next to me and wrapped his arm around me.

"Because I'm too dangerous, Bella. I needed time to adjust- to get used to this," He half-seethed. "I could stand your blood on the day of the funeral, because I pushed myself. Even If I could hold you for just a minute, it made you better. It made me better. It made me train myself to control as much of the bloodlust as I could. I still can't control it fully, but I needed to see you. I needed you to understand why I had to pretend to be dead-when in actuality, I was, in a way. I'm something I'm sure neither of us could fathom, and I can't do anything about it. I'm a vampire, Bella. But I'm still alive. I'm still in love with you, and I'd like a second chance."

After all of what he told me sunk in, I smiled, nodded, and the proceeded to faint.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

When I woke up, I thought it was just a dream. One of those bad-but good dreams that you knew was going to disappear when you woke up. But this was a great, wonderful dream I wanted to have, and wanted to be real. But I knew, reality had to show sometime.

Groggily, I opened my eyes and looked into the gold ones above me. "Good evening," He smiled and I frowned. Was I really out for that long? Had it been a full day that I missed out on since he came back? "Nope," He smiled. "You were only out for a little bit." How did he know? "And I can read minds, too."

And then I proceeded to faint. Again.


	3. Chapter 3

"Wait-What did you say?" I asked as I took another sip of the delectable coffee Edward had made for me while I was out. He rolled his eyes, but a smile was firmly planted on his face. He was trying to tell me what he was- and what his life consisted of. My mind wasn't absorbing all of this, so I asked him to repeat what this 'vegetarian' lifestyle was. So far, I had picked up 'not human blood', and 'not being as solitary as I could be.'

"So," He leaned against my shoulder and played with a few strands of my hair. "Being 'vegetarian' means that I'm that I'm doing the best I can about not drinking human blood, and I'm willing to be approached in society."

"Ah," I nodded, and took another sip. This coffee was amazing, and I still couldn't believe he was a vampire. How those two thoughts were relevant was beyond me.

So far, Edward had clarified he was a vampire, he didn't drink human blood, and he did still want me. But what I wanted to know was what happened to him the time he went missing to the time his body showed up. Those three days that we couldn't find him, and the day afterwards when I lost hope we could ever find him alive when he was found dead.

Edward smiled grimly as he probably read my mind. Again. "I was being turned," His faced turned into a mask of pain. "It takes three days for a vampire to be turned, which is both extremely painful and somehow dangerous. The person who turned me knew I was dying, and said I could be left to die when I had something to live for."

He paused as I gasped, and he nudged his head into my hair. "I had lung cancer. I was terminally ill." Tears started to fall as I realized, he was going to die either way. Maybe this was for the better.

"Um," He looked nervous for a second as he pulled back. "Do you mind if I take a shower? I'm dirty as hell."

I gulped and nodded. "Yeah, your stuff is still where it was," And I gasped when I realized, I didn't want him to know that. "I mean I haven't had enough time to get everything out, you know, so it's been-" He cut me off with a kiss.

"I know love," He murmured, and pulled his shirt off. Hello distraction. "I'm still trying to how to-" And then it was my turn to cut him off with a kiss.

"Don't worry about it," I wrapped my arms around him, and then let go. "Oops, shower time for you."

"Yeah," He sighed. "Be back in a few minutes."

"Okay," I murmured, and then smiled. He was back. And hopefully, for good this time.


End file.
